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Sunday, August 3, 2014

Conversations with the Old Vet - Are Veterans "Broken"?

A veteran asks: “Sure some of my family and friends say, ‘We
love you and want to help,’ but do these feeling reflect a desire to reconcile
the real me, the way I am now with all of my experiences, back into their
lives? Or are they trying desperately to mold me back into what I was before
deployment?”

Like most things in life, maybe the answer is “a little bit
of both.” You need to understand from the start that this isn’t anything new. A
catchy WWI song asked the question “How you gonna keep ‘em down on the farm
after they’ve seen Paree?” No one had a satisfactory answer to that then, and
they don’t now.

Even if you had deployed into a non-combat zone you would be
changed by your experiences. Layer that with the intensity of combat and figure
you’re going to change even more from the person you were – and remain – in the
minds of your family and friends. Accept it. It happens and there’s not a damn
thing you or they can do to reverse the process.

So, when friends and family fail to accomplish the patently
impossible – to make you back into “how you used to be,” how many then reject you
or give up on you as somehow “broken” or “unfit to re-integrate” into society? Or
what might be even worse, label you as a “victim” deserving of their pity. Far
too many. That goes to explain why vets usually seek out battle buddies or
other vets to talk to. They get it. Civilians simply can’t.

Of course you’re going to feel isolated, frustrated, and
alone – who wouldn’t? Even when surrounded by caring civilians who want to help
but don’t know how. Worse, for the veteran this loneliness can quickly become
guilt and self-blame that too often then becomes a desire to end the misery. This
fact is the core of why suicide rates among combat veterans has reached a
crisis point.

Listen up! The widespread lack of comprehension of your
experiences and situation from the civilian world may come with an unspoken
message that you have failed as a person in some way. After all, if they are
“normal” and you don’t meet their expectations of that norm, then civilians
around you won’t know what to say and thus begin to feel uncomfortable and
their discomfort becomes “your” fault. Even if not outright rejected, you may
be held at arm’s length.

Add into the mix the endless sources that feed into this
myth of the “broken veteran:” Entertainment industry, politicians, self-appointed
“experts,” commentators, medical professionals, even the government gets into
the act.

There are the government agencies and medical professionals
eager to reinforce such misperceptions. Post-traumatic stress is labeled a
“disorder,” and has become an industry. It’s viewed as something that needs to
be “cured” or somehow fixed. If on the other hand, as USMC General James “Mad
Dog” Mattis says, “it’s really post-traumatic growth,” then maybe you’re stronger than you were previously and
such strength is unrecognized. Maybe you are not even aware of it. But it’s
there.

Veterans have been openly targeted as prime suspects for
domestic terrorism and some politicians proclaim that you, the veteran, ought
to be denied possession of weapons and should alert neighborhoods of your
combat experience so that precautions can be taken to thwart anticipated
hostile actions.

Bottom line is that both government and society have
exacerbated the predictable sense of isolation that you may sometimes
experience by falsely labeling all veterans as potential ticking time bombs and
by drugging too many of you into insensibility.

It’s past time for someone to call “bullshit!” Many have
rejected these practices and we at Valhalla Project are among them. We have
seen veterans, perhaps just like you – both former service members and war zone
civilian contractors – arrive here stressed to the max. Within days they have
been able to slough off much of the tension, relax, get involved with projects
outside of themselves, talk with their contemporaries, and develop a renewed
sense of purpose, confidence, and self-worth.

If you are a post-9/11 combat vet or qualified war zone
civilian and are troubled by a sense of isolation then consider a stay at
Valhalla Project. We can’t promise anything other than a peaceful, secure
environment, lots of meaningful projects to involve you, a place to relax in
the outdoors, and an understanding ear from other combat veterans.

If you think you’re pretty squared away, then come down for
a stay to help your fellow veterans and get a break from your everyday life.

You can stay for days, weeks, or months. Chow is good and
provided as is lodging. You will be required to participate in daily activities
and special projects. You will get outside and get dirty. You will learn about
homesteading and independent living. Things like livestock and poultry,
permaculture design and implementation, intensive growing techniques, and
off-grid construction will stimulate you mentally and physically.

We have fun, too. Fishing, hunting in season, hiking,
camping, dunks in the swimming hole, outdoor cooking, wildlife, and more are
readily available.

Contact us by email or phone is you think you’d be
interested. Be assured that at Valhalla you
will not be isolated but in friendly company.

* * *

The Valhalla Project needs your help and support

Just
getting a project like Valhalla up and running has required a significant
investment in time, money, and labor. With roughly $500,000 already invested
over the last two years into the Valhalla Project for property acquisition, feeding
and housing Soldier participants, infrastructure and facility improvements,
animal purchases and feed, tools and building supplies, forest and pasture
management expenses, and much much more, resources are running thin. We need
YOUR help to keep Valhalla functioning efficiently - while at the same time
expanding vitally important programs to assist post-9/11 combat Soldiers and
war zone civilian workers to transition back into the civilian world.

The Valhalla Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity recognized by the IRS.Nobody, including cadre or board members, draws a paycheck here, nor will they ever: we simply give everything we have to make Valhalla possible. 100% of your donation via Paypal will go directly to program expenses, period. If you'd prefer to instead directly donate four new tractor tire, a truckload of straw bales, a pallet of dimension lumber, or even a few dozen 10' sheets of forest green tin roofing, that would be absolutely wonderful - yet perhaps polking the "Donate" button above to contribute $10, $20, $50 or even more might be a little easier and more practical!

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The Valhalla Project is a nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS.

What is the Valhalla Project?

Transitioning back into the civilian world following military service can be very difficult. The Valhalla Project offers post-9/11 combat veterans the opportunity to sort through this difficult process in a secure environment while building self-reliance skills on a 200-acre private homestead in the Ozark Mountains. Valhalla provides the time, space, and fellowship for individuals to assess their options for the future, develop personal goals for success, build personal discipline, and explore what is going right -- and wrong -- in their world. Participants may stay at Valhalla for up to three months, with excellent room and board provided, in exchange for participation in four hours of homesteading projects each day. Build it for yourselves, for your buddies, and for future generations of combat veterans: a real home-away-from-home, particularly for (but not limited to) those veterans who do not currently have supportive families of their own to rely upon. Active duty military personnel and combat zone civilian contractors are also welcome participants!